


talk

by GalekhXigisi



Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: Dialogue Heavy, Emotional Manipulation, Emotional Turmoil, No Beta, Season 4 Spoilers, Someone fucking hug him, They talk to each other, Trans Bow (She-Ra), kind of, mentioned characters not tagged - Freeform, season 4 in between
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-05
Updated: 2019-11-05
Packaged: 2021-01-23 15:05:31
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,358
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21322162
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GalekhXigisi/pseuds/GalekhXigisi
Summary: Double Trouble talks to Bow.
Relationships: Bow & Double Trouble (She-Ra)
Comments: 18
Kudos: 171





	talk

**Author's Note:**

> Set before Bow and Adora leave against Glimmer's orders to get Mara's ship.

“So,” Double Trouble asks with the same sly smirk they always seem to carry, “What’s it like?” 

Bow raises a brow at the reptile-like beast draped across the couch, lounging as if they weren’t a prisoner of Bright Moon. Well… As much of a prisoner as anyone could be for them. “What’d you mean,” he asks softly. He’d been sitting with them for hours now, the two silent. While Bow wasn’t technically  _ supposed _ to, he liked to bring them books and they liked the book he provides. At least, he hopes they do, they are an amazing actee. 

“Well, being an emotional punching bag for the princesses, of course,” they say with a wave of their hand, twirling it in a circle. “You’re no princess, _ obviously, _ and they seem to love taking out their emotional bull on  _ you. _ You’re an easy target, easy to manipulate, easy to  _ set off.” _

Bow frowns. He knows that already. He’s heard it from Shadow Weaver before, too. He’s heard it from all the other princesses, from Catra herself in the middle of a battle. He  _ was _ too trusting, but… 

“I know,” he says softly, “But  _ someone _ has to be nice and happy when no one else will, right?” 

He knows no one noticed he was missing until that seagull had said something. He had listened to Mermista tell him about it with Sea Hawk. Bow had heard the way the two had fought. He didn’t need to be there to know that what he had said the other day with Sea Hawk and Swift Wind was painfully  _ true. _ It still makes his stomach flip and flop at hearing it. He glares at the ground begrudgingly. 

“What’s stopping you from telling them off, dear Bow?” 

Bow has to take a moment to ponder that himself. He  _ hates _ that he has to. He didn’t normally have to. 

“Have to consider it,” they coo. Double Trouble runs a hand through their hair. “Well, well,  _ well, _ that sounds like trouble in paradise. I should know about trouble,  _ shouldn’t I?” _

Bow half-heartedly waves them off, stomach sour. 

“Are you not at all angry with them? I’ve seen the way you look at them when they walk in the room, even  _ before _ I was found out.” 

“I’m not…  _ angry  _ at any of them, no…” He’s  _ not, _ genuinely so. 

“Then what  _ are _ you, my darling?” They lean up, sitting tall. “Are you hurt? Saddened? Decompressed mentally?” 

Bow doesn’t  _ want _ to answer. He knows avoiding the question is an answer enough as is. 

“You always talk it out, don’t you? Play peacekeeper? Was that what it was like when you were a kid? Did you have a sad backstory? Or maybe it was a great one? Have a lot of trauma beneath your belt?” 

He shakes his head. “Twelve siblings with two great dads,” he finally answers. “Nothing emotional or traumatizing about it… Just a boy going to inherit a library. Nothing big.” 

Double Trouble cackles, “You still have libraries here? There’s so much  _ different _ here! You even have great food, too! It’s not grey and gunk-like! It’s all colorful and green, like  _ me.” _

“You  _ don’t _ have libraries?” 

“We don’t have a  _ lot _ of things, my little friend. Wait, we’re friends,  _ right?” _ Their tone doesn’t change at all, not faltering. 

“Are we,” he asks with a raised brow. 

They hum. Finger pressing to their chin in a contemplative look, they slowly nod. “You know, I believe we  _ are _ friends. I don’t mind your company and you do listen to me well enough.” 

“I try,” he mumbles in reply. It was his problem, apparently. 

“Then… Maybe we  _ are _ friends.”

It’s a deceptive sentence. Bow knows that well enough from years of living with his siblings. So, instead, he softly says, “What’s the truth, really, Double Trouble?” 

“What’d you mean, little soldier?”

“You’re  _ obviously _ working for Catra,” he recounts, finally placing his book down, unsure of when his attention had truly spiraled from the book. It was probably hours ago, anyway. “She’s probably paying you or just offering you power, but… What are we,  _ really?” _

“Well, we’re certainly not  _ dating,” _ they scoff, “so I’m not sure why you brought out  _ that _ question. We’re just talking, doing what friends do, aren’t we?” 

He shakes his head. “No, no, I mean,  _ really, _ what’s the point of this? If you can’t tell, Glimmer isn’t exactly telling me anything about her plan and none of the other princesses really seem to be that keen on talking to me, either, even with Adora still being my… my maybe best friend.” The falter makes his chest ache in a way that he knows certainly  _ isn’t _ from his binder. “What’s the point of this? Why do you want to talk to  _ me? _ I’ll never join the Horde, I don’t like hurting people, really. All of my arrows are nonlethal, they won’t do anything outside of sting, so… What’s in this for you? Entertainment?” 

“Going on a tangent isn’t too entertaining,” they say with a feigned yawn, one that’s nothing more than another trick. They lean over the couch’s arm, stretching with a genuine yawn just a few seconds after. “Have you considered that maybe I do  _ genuinely _ want to be your friend? Or that maybe riling you up is the only form of entertainment I’ve got?” 

“I’ve thought of that,” he supplies for the other. He  _ has. _

Double Trouble raises a brow, leaning up once again, now mirroring Bow, who only sat a few feet away. “Riling you up would only be entertaining for so long. I could befriend you, think you have the power, and then absolutely destroy you, but that’s too long term and I have commitment issues,” they say with a coy smirk. “You can’t do much, anyway. You’re not like the rest of the beings here. There’s nothing  _ special _ to you.” 

That hurts more than Bow wants to admit, not as he tenses up. He knows the other can see it. He’s thankful they don’t comment on it. 

“You’re just  _ you. _ You’re powerless compared to them. Sure, you can fight and invent, but so can everyone else if they take the time to learn it. In the Horde, you’d be nothing more than a disposable foot soldier, common folk, a sitting duck just like the rest of us. You’re only in with the princesses because your daddies got you in with the queen’s daughter when you were young. I bet that if you hadn’t met Glimmer, you’d be nothing more than a common boy running errands to get books or whatever it is your daddies call for.” 

“Yeah,” he whimpers in a weak agreement. 

“What’s the story behind that? Little kid running off, getting into trouble? Sour kid turned sweet? Bad kid turned good? Romance blossoming at a young age and never relenting?” 

Bow shakes his head. “Stupid kid meeting the strong kid…” 

“Who was who in that situation,” they ask, perked up. After a moment of no response, they seem to relax, humming. “So  _ you _ were the dumb kid and she was the strong one?” 

He nods. The boy’s eyes burn. 

“Glimmer, as stubborn as she is,  _ is _ very strong, physically and mentally, sure, I’ll give her that. Makes sense, after all, even if you seem rather smart. I guess I won’t pry any more on that, you already seem broken enough as is.” 

He gives them a gentle wave of his hand, dismissing their words. The action was pointless. They were already done and the topic had already settled in the dust. 

They already seem to have another topic on hand, smiling as the fall back onto the couch, sinking into the cushions. “Those of you without magic are so  _ boring. _ You’re too  _ plain. _ Maybe Shadow Weaver could teach you some tricks?” 

He shales his head instantly.  _ “No,” _ he whines, voice cracking, “Adora’s already mad enough with Glimmer, that would be  _ pointless. _ I don’t need her angry at me, too!” 

Double Trouble lets out a high laugh, one that’s full and genuinely entertained. “Well,  _ that’s _ a red flag and a half, tech master!” 

For some twisted reason, Bow thinks that  _ maybe _ he agrees. 

**Author's Note:**

> I'm on, like, episode 10 or 11. I haven't finished it yet since my sister fell asleep and we were watching it together, so here's some emotional stuff. 
> 
> Please leave comments! I love them!
> 
> here's my discord server! We can scream about the new season!  
https://discord.gg/eGkwayy


End file.
